GARFIELD COUNTY, CO - An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between Garfield County and the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District (FMLD) is bringing close to $7.3 million in excess funding back to the county. Those funds were originally allocated for cleanup of the Anvil Points federal oil shale research site.

The excess funds are to be conveyed to the county no later than May 31. In return, FMLD may retain all interest earned on the deposit through the date it is conveyed to Garfield County. The money has been held by the Department of the Interior for more than a decade. It originated from leases at the Naval Oil Shale Reserves near Anvil Points.

The FMLD allocates funding from natural resource development on Garfield County public lands to communities that are impacted by the process. The funds are to be saved in the county's Oil and Gas Mitigation Fund.

"I'm glad to be an integral part, and there were a lot of people that worked on this and put in hard hours, and I'm glad to see this finally be resolved," said Commissioner Mike Samson. "I'm glad that we have this money for the future for what we would deem to be the best uses for Garfield County."